Month: June 2018

The NASA lunar e-bike prototype was said to be developed in the event of the lunar rover vehicle not being ready for the Apollo missions of 1972 and 1973. The moon scooter didn’t need to be deployed because the lunar rover hit its intended completion deadline. It would take a few years for earth-bound e-bikes to catch up to the lunar bike, but I guess there is one larger trend that can be accredited to this NASA research: hard-shell bicycle helmets.

Times are tough for super heroes. Captain America, who lives off his meager social security checks and small payments from sporadic personal appearances, is trying to sell his beloved 1977 Yamaha. The bike looks like a road racer with a full fairing, rearsets and aerodynamic tail section. That impression ends at the tires that are off-road knobbies. The asking price? The bidding starts at $100,000 or you can buy it now for only $300,000. You better act quickly, though. Rumor has it that Bruce Wayne is watching the bidding.

California was the first state to address e-bike usage by modifying its vehicle code with Assembly Bill 1096. The modified vehicle code is a big victory for companies and retailers who sell (or rent) electric-motorized bicycles in the state, but the legislation puts consumers at a marked disadvantage. The e-bike regulations recently adopted by Connecticut corrects California’s goof and results in legislation far more fair to consumers. APPROPRIATE TRAIL ACCESS The California law allows all but the most powerful e-bikes to be operated on equestrian, hiking and recreational trails. The…

This Running When Parked is unique because the owner removed the gearbox from a bike that “ran great when parked.” If it was running great, why did the owner disassemble the gearbox? Maybe it was running great, but I’ll bet it wasn’t shifting great. And it pays to read the ad carefully. The seller is “asking $2000” but the headline lists the price as $1500. The buyer already saved $500. Does that make it a good price? Nope. The bike is missing the battery, an exhaust pipe and probably a…

If there was ever a mountain bike park that needed to be approved for e-bike use, it is the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park. Why? Mammoth is notoriously one of the toughest places to ride a conventional mountain bike. The park’s altitude assures your lungs will feel like an elephant is sitting on them. The trail surface is soft, spongy, dusty, momentum-killing pumice that can break the spirit of the strongest riders (think kitty litter). There is not a rider who has ridden the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park trails and not…

While I understand this rider’s frustration with people blocking a bike lane when they could and should be on the sidewalk, his solution to the problem may cause more hostility against riders. Best approach is to reduce your speed and give a polite “behind you” or “on your left.” That will work better than blasting off someone’s toupee. You also don’t want to become a victim of road rage (or in this case, pedestrian rage).

This seller gets an A+ in collectable Maicos, a D-minus in salesmanship and an F in motorcycle appraisal. Although missing the front fender, this 1972 Maico 501 appears to have few hours of operation (a rider’s knees rubbed the paint off the fiberglass tank after the 10-hour mark) and chances are it was never raced (aside from a total lack of aftermarket parts, there are no number plates). The bike doesn’t appear to be missing components (except for that fender). The seller should have given more history and additional photos…

Relish magazine shows up in 15 million newspapers a few times a year. The June 2018 issue of the cooking, food and lifestyle magazine includes an advertisement from Lunchables. The ad depicts a young lady who has fabricated a motocross freestyle course out of Lunchable components. Motorcycle manufacturers are all worried about the aging demographic of their customers. Positive exposure to such a massive audience from an unexpected source is a much appreciated gift to motorcycling. My guilty pleasure is the Lunchable Turkey + Cheddar with Crackers. I always carry…

Mecum holds two motorcycle auctions in Las Vegas every year. The January auction (read about it here) is the big daddy and the June auction, while smaller than January, still packs in a lot of amazing bikes and, some would say, much better values for buyers. While I didn’t make the fear and loathing road trip for the June auction, watching the action on the live stream provided by Mecum and browsing the results gives a pretty good idea of what went down before the gavel hit the wood.